


Reds and Blues

by Sorelion (Miakiii)



Series: In Media Res [6]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Hanahaki Disease, Hanahaki Disease Variant, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Vague Ending, alternative universe, it's not hopeful though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-21 09:29:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19999699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miakiii/pseuds/Sorelion
Summary: Tony Stark has a magical problem and he knows that it has something to do with one Stephen Strange. After all, how is it that he's quite literally the only one who remembers all about him despite his massive contributions during the fight against Thanos?





	Reds and Blues

**Author's Note:**

> Hoh man, this is gonna HURT lmao. But it's Hanahaki, what can you expect? I just wanna say real quick that this was written at 2 am so it’s really full of errors. It has a bit of a different title than the one in tumblr but I kinda like this better to be honest lmao. This was written because of a prompt in the HC channel in the discord server. Enjoy!

**_"Wong!"_ **

"Stark." The master of the New York Sanctum sighs in resignation as he greets the other man with a nod. Tony had barely acknowledged the nod, his worried face and panicked expression unsettles the sorcerer.

"Wong, listen, I have no idea what freaky magic-voodoo happened to me but it's been driving me nuts--"

"Calm yourself, Stark. Whatever it is, we'll find a way to fix you up."

"Yeah, you better! And I know he's hiding from me, because this is one hundred percent his fault, so call him down, Wong." Tony crosses his arms, as an irritated expression sits on his face. Wong's usually stoic expression morphs into surprise and confusion.

"What are you talking about, Stark?"

"Wong, don't cover for him, I know he's hiding from me. Really, what does he think he's doing, going around and erasing all traces of his info! And he manipulated memories! He promised not to do that! This stupid curse has everything to do with him--"

"Stark, you are not making sense--"

"Strange! Get your stupid magical flying butt down here!" Out of patience, Tony yells out in frustration as he strides forward to start climbing the stairs. Wong simply followed him, wary that it may be the effects of the so-called curse Tony is suffering from.

"Hello? Paging Doctor Strangely Irritating and His Flying Red Carpet--"

"What are you rambling about?"

"Wong, listen, I know you and Strange have a buddy-bro's-before-hoes pact or whatever but this is really getting old--"

" _Tony._ " Something in the sorcerer's tone made the genius pause in his step and rant. It left a sort of dread mixed with something else that wont sit still within him. Fear? Anxiety? Unease? Tony couldn't tell, but all he knows is that as soon as he sees the doctor, everything would be fine again.

"What's the strange thing you've been shouting all around?"

"Huh?"

"I don't have a strange pact with anyone--"

"No... I mean you and--shit, what was his-Stephen!" The genius smiles brightly, now recalling the first name of the mysterious sorcerer. Despite his small victory, however, Wong's still confused expression set something off in Tony's head.

"Who is Stephen?"

"... Wong, don't joke around. You know? Stephen Strange? Lost his hands in an accident and became a wizard at your place? Has this annoying cape--no, okay cloak--that flies him everywhere-" Tony realized he was rambling, a nervous tick he's developed since Sokovia. Wong's continuous denial doesn't help him get any better.

"Are you talking about the Cloak of Levitation?"

"Yeah! That stupid carpet that tends to get really handsy--"

"Tony... No one has seen the Cloak since The Ancient One's passing..."

"Okay, this joke has gone too far--"

"Whatever it is that you have, Stark, it's something not unheard of." Wong's eyes finally lit in understanding, as he motions the billionaire to follow him through the Sanctum's library. Tony follows without a word, somehow glad that he was finally getting to the bottom of this weird curse Strange had left him with.

"A magical disease that has many different variants, a sickness common to most sorcerers and rare among the ordinary folk, especially those touched by powerful magic. It's something called the **Hanahaki.** "

"Okay so, it removes the person from everyone's memories?"

"Not precisely, that particular effect is a rare variant. And judging by the amount of memories erased by the disease, I'd say this Stephen of yours is one powerful sorcerer."

"Wait... what exactly does this Hanahaki actually do?"

"It is a disease that stems from a sorcerer's emotional outburst with magic, usually strong emotions." Wong explains, as he shows a book with a picture of a man coughing flowers. "When a sorcerer starts developing said strong emotions, they begin coughing up flowers, as it slowly covers their lungs thereby suffocating them."

"That... sounds horrifying. Huh, what strong emotions do you mean by that?"

"There's been no records of hate, or any variations of it. There is usually just one reason to develop Hanahaki once the sorcerer is infected by it." He closes the book, as he looks at Tony with something akin to pity.

_"It's unrequited love."_

"Wong, seriously, that's--"

"There has been millions of accounts throughout the history of the Order, Stark. Unrequited love is the reason for every single death of the sorcerer infected by it." Tony is stunned at the revelation, as he couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that Stephen Strange, the sorcerer who went toe-to-toe against the Mad Titan that wielded four Infinity Stones, died because the one he loved didn't love him back.

Slowly, he begins making a connection with the sorcerer's sudden disappearance and everyone's lost memories of him.

Everyone except for...

"H-Hey, what's that variant thing you were talking about?"

"It's one of the rare ones but not unheard of. Sometimes, a powerful enough sorcerer, when they die to the Hanahaki, would erase the memories of his closest loved ones. All except for the person they had unrequited feelings for." Wong silently stares at Tony's paling face as he understands the implication of what Wong said.

"You said that everyone you've asked, all the info surrounding him is gone. Not even us sorcerers remember or know him. Perhaps it even affected the entire world. That's not something that an ordinary Master is capable of."

_"Why... Why am I not affected..."_

"Tony, that means that he--that Stephen guy, he must have loved you." There it is. Something shatters in Tony, as the awful truth has finally surfaced.

"H-How!? We barely just met--"

_**"I went through fourteen million six hundred and five time lines--"** _

"N-No..." Tony felt his knees buck and his legs weaken. The man who saved him, half the universe, went through so many different timelines...

And promptly fell in love with him, **Tony Stark.**

"... His bedroom! Where is the master bedroom--Wong, take me there!" Panic and dread finally gripped his heart with an iron claw. Wong wastes no time in leading the way, as they make their way towards the last door on the left.

As the door opens, the two were greeted by the sight of blue, wilting scorpion grasses ( _Forget-Me-Nots, how absolutely poetic of that idiot_ ) with specks of blood thrown haphazardly around the room. On the bed, where most of the flowers were gathered lay an unmoving body wrapped with a still red fabric.

"The Cloak of Levitation... so it was with him then."

"Stephen?"

Tony wades through the sea of dead flowers, kneeling beside the bed with the dead sorcerer. There were splatters of blood on his pillows and cheeks and looking closely, a single petal peaks out of his cold lips. Horrified, he glances at the calm face of the one who loved him enough to die for him. Something twists inside his heart, as he hovers his hands over the closed eyes of the sorcerer. This man had saved him, protected him, _died_ for him **twice** now!

"You're an idiot, you know that? Just... Damnit, why didn't you tell me! I could have--"

' _Could have what? Loved him?'_

At the thought, a warm gush of _something_ spreads through his heart but the sudden feeling of vertigo and breathlessness followed. He feels his lungs contract as the warmth began to hurt, as if something is stuck in between his ribs.

Tony lets out wet cough, as a single red petal flew out of his mouth and onto his palm.

"Shit..."

_'Gloxinia... Love at first sight.'_


End file.
